The future of ageing

Workshop with Greater Manchester Growing Older with Learning Disabilities (GM GOLD)

8 June 2022

For the fifth and final of our future of ageing engagement workshops, our Researcher, Molly Gray, facilitated this creative workshop with Melanie Chapman, a Research Fellow (Disability & Community) from Manchester Metropolitan University, who co-founded and leads the research team GM GOLD.

10 older adults with learning disabilities took part in the workshop which was split into two sessions, exploring how health and wellbeing technologies can support people in later life, and values in older age.

The first session brought out participant's creative flares through using crafting materials to design a ‘dream machine’ that they would want in later life to improve healthy ageing. Following this first session, our Researcher, Molly Gray, wrote a blog titled ‘If you could design your ‘dream machine’ to help you in older age, what would it be?’

The second workshop consisted of an interview-style filming session (see below), run by Andy Needle, project coordinator from Manchester People First, a self-advocacy group for adults with a learning disability.

With thanks to the members of GM GOLD, Melanie Chapman, Andy Needle, and staff and students at Manchester Metropolitan University who supported the workshop.